Three piece helmet



NOV. 25, 1958 w, STUART r 2,861,274

' THREE PIECE HELMET Filed Feb. 21, 1957 INVENTOR Whitney A- LeolzarciGHuXiable ATTORNEY W/ZMM;

United States Patent f THREE PIECE HELMET Whitney A. Stuart, NewBrunswick, N. J., and Leonard G. Huxtable, New York, N. Y., assignors tothe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyApplication February 21, 1957, Serial No. 641,777

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-6) The invention relates to protective helmets or thelike, particularly helmets which comprise a shell of relatively rigidmaterial such as metals, alloys thereof, or synthetic plastic materials.

Such helmets are well known and, of necessity, must have a head openinglarger than the largest dimensions of the head to permit the helmet tobe put on and taken off. It follows then, that the same cannot have areasonably close fit in the face or neck areas unless they includeportions which are hinged to the crown portion of the helmet shell.Hinges are not only expensive and heavy whereby to add to the cost andweight of the shell but they are easily damaged by the rough usageincident to military operations and are correspondingly difficult torepair in the field.

With the foregoing in view, it is an .object of the invention to providean improved helmet shell of the class described.

A further object is to provide an improved helmet which includes arelatively small crown together with a separate visor and a separatecombined neck and ear shield, said visor and shield being pivotallyconnected to said crown for independent pivotal movement to and fromoperative and raised positions.

A further object is to provide in a helmet as last described,interengaging means on said visor and shield which provide movable stopslimiting raising movement of said twain.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of theinvention, the structure of the several elements of the same,combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to theattached drawing which illustrates one species of the invention inconnection with the following specification wherein the invention isdescribed and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a helmet according to the invention,the parts being shown in the operative positions;

Figure 2 is a like view, the parts being shown in certain of the raisedpositions;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, diametral, vertical sectional view;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially onthe plane of the line 44 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the invention, the parts being shown in theoperative positions.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference charactersdesignate like parts in all views, designates generally a head piece orcrown which is preferably in the form of a substantially hemisphericalsegment of a hollow sphere. It is understood that the crown 10 isprovided on the inside with suitable sweat band and head supportingcradle (not shown) when the shell is formed as a helmet liner. A typicaland suitable sweatband and cradle are shown in the patent to Riddell,No.

2,250,275. However, when the crown 10 is worn over a liner, suchsweatbands and cradle are omitted. Therefore, it should be understoodthat the helmet according to the invention may comprise either a helmetliner-type of head covering or it may be a mere shell for covering ahelmet liner.

The crown 10 is formed with radially outwardly projecting fixed rear andfront stops 11 and 12 respectively for a purpose to be apparent later.The crown 10 is likewise formed with suitable latch means such as thelower and upper bosses 13 and 14 on the front side thereof above thefront stop 12 for purposes which will likewise be apparent hereinafter.The crown 10 mounts a pair of coaxial pivots 15 which pass through thecrown on opposite sides thereof just above the lower edge or brim. Thepivots 15 likewise pass through the opposite or forward ends of acombined neck and ear shield 16 to mount the latter on the crownforpivotal movement from the lowered or operative position of Figures 1 and3-5 to various raised positions as illustrated in Figure 2 and'in brokenlines in Figure l. A radially inwardly direct lip 17 on the upper rearedge of the shield 16 engages the rear stop 11 to limit downwardmovement of the shield to the operative position. Such lip 17 likewiserides over the upper latch means or boss 14 of the crown 10 to latch theshield 16 in the raised position shown in Figure 2. As the shield 16comprises a substantially U-shaped segment of a hollow sphere, ithas aclose sliding fit over the crown 10 and is concentric to the same as thepivots 15 are located on a common axis of the spheres of which the crown10 and shield 16 are segments.

A visor 18 is likewise pivotally mounted on the pivots 15 for movementfrom the lowered or operative position of Figures 1 and 5 to a pluralityof raisedpositionsas shown in Figure 2 and in solid and broken lines inFigure 3. The visor is also a U-shaped segment of a hollow sphere forthe most part and is concentrically outwardly of the crown 10. Itincludes an upper edge which is formed with a radially inwardly directedlip or the like 19 at the front which engages the front stop 12 to limitdownward movement of the visor 18 to the operative position. The lip 19rides over the lower latch boss 13 to latch the visor in the raisedposition shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The rear ends of the visor 18 or the front ends of the shield 16 areformed with movable stop means for engaging the other to limit raisingmovement of same to the various raised positions illustratedparticularly the fully raised positions shown in broken lines in Figures1 and 3. In the embodiment illustrated, the rear ends 20 of the visor 18are radially outwardly offset. Radially outwardly directed visorportions 21 connect the ends 20 to the main body of the visor 18 andcomprise rearwardly facing shoulders. These shoulders 21 comprise suchmovable stops for engaging the upper edge 22 of the shield 16 to limitraising movement of both the visor 18 and shield 16 to any of a numberof partially raised positions, one for each of which is illustrated inFigure 2, or to the fully raised positions shown in broken lines inFigures 1 and 3. In this connection, it should be noted that when eitherthe shield 16 or the visor 18 is in the fully raised position, it hasbeen passed over the crest of the crown 10 and is secured in suchposition by gravity. However, it should be noted also, that theso-called partially raised positions of Figure 2, both the visor andshield are elevated to positions wherein they are at least substantiallyentirely above the lower edge or brim of the crown 10. These positionsallow the maximum of ventilation and would he usually used when aminimum of protection and a maximum of comfort is desired. The shield 16may be fully raised, Figure 1 in broken lines,

'when lit le protection is desired but the visor is needed for a glareor sun shield. Likewise, the visor may be 'fully raised (Figure 3,broken lines) when the shield 16 is needed for protection against draftsor otherwise while ,rproviding maximum vertical vision such as is neededfor a-ircraft spotting. In this connection, it should be noted, that theshield 16 is secured in the operative .position solely by gravity.Hence, as the wearers head tilts back as in following the flight. of anaircraft overhead, the shield 16 will ride up when it abuts the neck ofthe wearer and will carry the fully retracted visor 18 with it. Theparts are returned by gravity to the original positions when the head isagain lowered.

-It is apparent from the foregoing, that there has been :provided ahelmet which is readily changeable from one which ofiers the maximumprotection to one otfering a maximum of coolness, yet one which iscapable of providing a variety of intermediate positions. Thus, the tievice accordingto the invention is extremely flexible in operation andprovides adequate protection under a wide variety of rapidlyc'hangingconditions.

Moreover, while there has been shown and described what is now thoughtto be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is understood thatthe same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently,'tjheinvention is not considered as being limited to the precisestructure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. A three piece helmet, comprising a crown, a visor,

and a combined neck and ear shield, a pair of coaxial ,pivot meanspivotally connecting said visor and shield to said crown, said visor andshield being independently and pivotally movable from operativepositions wherein they depend from said crown to a plurality of raisedpositions, one of said shield and visor having laterally outwardlyofiset ends including radially directed portions providing shoulders,and said shoulders providing movable stops .for engaging the other ofsaid shield and visor 4 so as to limit raising movement of one of saidshield and visor to a selected raised position.

2. A three piece helmet, comprising a crown, a visor, and a combinedneck and ear shield, a. pair of coaxial pivot means pivotally connectingsaid visor and shield to said crown, said visor and shield beingindependently and pivotally movable from operative positions whereinthey depend from said crown to a plurality of raised positions, saidvisor having laterally offset rear ends including radially directedportions providing rearwardly directed shoulders, and said shouldersengaging said shield to limit raising movement of the latter to a fullyraised position when said visor is in said operative position :and to apartially raised position when said visor is in a raised position.

3. A three piece helmet, comprising a crown, a visor, and a combinedneck and ear shield, a pair of coaxial pivot means pivotally connectingsaid visor and shield to said crown, said visor and shield beingindependently and pivotally movable from operative positions whereinReferences Cited in the file of this patent 'UNITED STATES PATENTSDunand Feb. 1, 1921 Leibson July 1-7, 1928 OTHER REFERENCES Helmets andBody Armour in Modern Warfare," copyright 1920 by Yale University Press,page 36, Figure 7, and page 47, Figure 8.

